U-Haul Forbids Rentals to Explorer Drivers

[redqueen]

link

DETROIT - U-Haul is forbidding its stores from renting trailers to customers driving Ford Explorers, citing product liability lawsuits involving the popular sport utility vehicle, a newspaper reported.

U-Haul International Inc., North America's largest trailer rental company with more than 17,000 outlets, implemented the policy Dec. 22, saying it can no longer afford to defend the lawsuits, The Detroit News reported in Thursday editions.

"U-Haul has chosen not to rent behind this tow vehicle based on our history of excessive costs in defending lawsuits involving Ford Explorer towing combinations," the company told the newspaper, adding that the move is "not related to safety issues."

Joanne Fried, a U-Haul spokeswoman, declined to disclose how much the Phoenix-based company has spent defending lawsuits involving Explorers.
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LOL

[uncle ray]

1. huh, i would think

that it would be in uhauls interest to encourage it, let SOMEONE ELSE take the rap for their crappily maintained trailers crashing. for the most part, people that don't OWN a trailer generally should not be towing them either. too many suv driving idiots crashing their stuff? i just don't buy the legal aspect, every time you rent something, you sign a contract that removes all responsibility from uhaul. how bad can the lawsuits be? this is strange.

[northzax]

2. not neccesarily

most of those contracts aren't worth the paper they're printed on. and if Uhaul can be demonstrated to know that explorers cause more than their fair share of accidents and property damage, then they can be liable for continuing to allow the use of a dangerous item.

[mdmc]

3. thanks for this interesting link

This is a self imposed ban based on marketing, not safety. Safety has become a marketing issue where failure is deflected away from your product.

[LincolnMcGrath]

5. I agree

[drdigi420]

4. all i got to say is:

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
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hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
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haha

[soup]

6. Does this indicate a problem with

the U-Haul trailer, the driver of Explorer, or the Explorer?

Asking because my son and daughter-in-law bought an Explorer and since we finally got a new trailer for our sailboat, they're talking about borrowing the boat some weekend.

(- well, that's after we redo the interior. The drain plug was left in, a hatch was left uncovered, and it filled up with water and sat for awhile that way -) :-(

If there is something wrong with the Explorer's towing abilities, I'd sure like to know beforehand.

[Loonman]

7. U-Haul sucks anyway

Their equipment is awful and their service is worse.

Go Ryder.